The Return of the Air Bakin

When I first heard rumors on NikeTalk that the Air Bakin retro would see the light of day, my heart skipped a beat. This shoe, as with so many other mid to late 1990s Nike Basketball sneakers, holds a very special place in my heart. The year 1998 found me two years out of GMU, and basketball was my life (thanks to my cuz Vireak). I was still rockin’ my Penny IIs, but then I saw these on Tim Hardaway’s feet, and I knew I had to have them. I went with Vireak to Foot Locker, and they were already on sale! I copped the Blue and Black pair with some matching blue and black Nike socks, and I was hooked after that. When Complex confirmed Nike’s plan to re-release this sneaker, I found myself smiling for the rest of the day.

Some of you new jacks may not appreciate the shoe’s design, but when it dropped nearly ten years ago, it was very design-forward. More than anything, this shoe, as with countless others, takes me back to a time when nearly every sneaker that dropped was a classic in the making. Its design may not be relevant for our time and age, but that’s not the point. The shoe is an icon.